1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates broadly to receptacles used in operating rooms for holding or temporarily storing surgical instruments. More particularly, this invention relates to surgical instrument receptacles used in conjunction with a mayo stand.
2. State of the Art
Instruments used by surgeons during surgical procedures are commonly laid out on a moveable table called a “mayo stand”. A mayo stand includes a vertical leg, a rectangular frame horizontally cantilevered at the upper end of the leg, and a wheeled base at the lower end of the leg to provide mobility to the stand. A removable tray is seated on the frame. A typical mayo stand tray may be 13 inches wide by 19 inches long and is generally supported at its longitudinal ends on the frame.
During a surgical procedure, the tray is covered in a sterile material, and instruments to be used during surgery are placed on the tray. Then, as the instruments are required for the procedure, each is picked up from the tray by the surgeon, or an assistant hands the requested instrument to the surgeon.